Young mother thrown from boat leaves behind grieving husband, 4 children after Alabama waters tragedy
A young family in Alabama is grieving after a devastating boat accident led to the death of 27-year-old Brittney Sherman.
Sherman, of Wilmer, Alabama, was boating in Bayou Sara near Saraland in Mobile County on June 15 along with her husband, 30-year-old Cody Sherman, and the couple's four children.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) confirmed to Fox News Digital that two boats were involved in a collision at approximately 5:50 p.m. Sunday. Authorities said the incident involved a 20-foot Avid Center Console vessel occupied by the Sherman family and a 26-foot Regulator Center Console.
According to officials, the impact of the collision caused Brittney to be thrown overboard.
Despite the swift arrival of emergency crews, search efforts were hampered by the bayou's murky waters, making it difficult to locate Sherman in the aftermath of the crash.
On Monday morning, search and rescue personnel resumed the search for the missing mom. At approximately 10:50 a.m., personnel recovered Sherman's body about 100 yards from the spot where she had entered the water.
Two other passengers aboard the Avid vessel sustained injuries in the crash. Cody was transported to USA Health University Hospital in Mobile for medical care. One of the Shermans' children, 4, was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
The operator of the Avid boat was not injured in the collision. Likewise, the operator of the Regulator vessel was unharmed.
The ALEA Marine Patrol Division is continuing to investigate the cause of the crash. No charges have been filed. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Mobile County Medical Examiner's Office for comment.
Cody and Brittney shared four children together. In the wake of her passing, Cody expressed the weight of raising the children alone.
"Brittney I love you more than anything in this world," Cody wrote on Facebook. "I promise to take care of these babies for you, sweetheart! I know that you are up there watching over us."
"Please show me how to do this," added Cody. "I'm not sure how I'm gonna make it and I'm gonna do my best to make you proud. I love you until we meet again!!"
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Family of missing Albertville teen offering $3,000 reward for information leading to safe return
ALBERTVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The family of Kensleigh Shelton has raised the reward money for information that leads to her safe return. Kesha Holman, Kensleigh's mother, announced on Saturday that the reward money has been raised from $1,200 to $3,000. 15-year-old Kensleigh has been missing since Monday, with few answers about where she is or what happened the night she disappeared. According to family members, Kensleigh was last seen wearing white pajama pants, a pink PCB hoodie and black shoes. She is 5'4 and weighs around 100 pounds. Family members told News 19 that the teen may be traveling in a red Ford F-250 pickup truck with chrome rims, last seen in the area on the night of her disappearance. They are willing to do whatever to bring her home. If you have any information on her whereabouts, you are encouraged to contact the Albertville Police Department at (256)-878-1212 or call your local law enforcement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
Grieving mum told 'move 200 miles from city' as she mourns loss of beloved husband
A grieving mum vowed to live in a tent rather than split her family up - after Birmingham Council identified a new home for her nearly 200 miles from the city. Mum-of-four Geraldine White was stunned to be told she was a potential match for a new home in Hartlepool after her family were forced out of their previous privately-rented home. They had to quit the property in Nechells as they mourned the loss of Geraldine's husband Martin, who died days into the the New Year. READ MORE: Boy, 16, arrested as armed police swoop on Small Heath street where 'gun seen in car' Despite being bounced between a hotel in Walsall, a hostel in Tyseley and even a night sleeping rough in their shed, Geraldine refused the move to the north-east, which would have only included her and her youngest son. But she said a council worker still tried to tempt her - telling her: 'You'll be by the beach'. The authority denied a formal offer was made but said "all-time high" demand for homes in the city "severely restricted" what it could offer. "I'd rather buy a tent and camp on a piece of grass," Geraldine said. "All I have left is my family. "It's breaking my heart. We haven't been able to grieve properly. I've lost my home and my husband and If I wanted to sit beside his grave, I'd have to travel all the way down from Hartlepool." Of the Hartlepool offer, a journey of some 187 miles, she said: "The woman was very abrupt, I said I couldn't move there because it was nowhere near my family, my son's school.' She said: 'But you'll be by the beach.'" Geraldine said the upheaval around their housing meant her children, aged between 17 and 33, had been 'unable to grieve' their beloved husband and father, who died after setting himself on fire. The couple had been celebrating with a friend and two sons when the harrowing incident took place. She recalled: "I saw was a ball of smoke and saw him standing there. He'd got a lighter and set himself on fire." Warned of a four-hour wait for an ambulance, the family rushed him to hospital themselves but nothing could be done and he died on January 3. Geraldine said "nobody knew" why the incident took place. But she stressed it wasn't suicide. "We were in a rented property, we were trying to save up and move somewhere. We were trying to find somewhere smaller." While the family were arranging Martin's funeral, bailiffs turned up at the property as the landlord was served a High Court writ. She said: "We had to get out that day. We had nowhere to go. "Me and my daughter slept in the shed that night. The next day, we went to a Travelodge in Walsall." Now, the family are bidding on three-bed homes where they can "all be together". She added: "I'm not asking for a fancy house, we all want to be together. "The stress is mounting. There's only so much you can handle. I'm trying to stay as strong as I can because I'm trying to sort things out. But everywhere I turn, I'm hitting a brick wall. "We're such a close knit family, with what's happened it's made us even closer. The trauma we've been through, we just want some normality - whatever normal is." Birmingham City Council said: "The country is in the grip of a severe national housing crisis and demand for accommodation in Birmingham is at an all-time high. "The accommodation shortage severely restricts what options we can offer to people in need, and we know many people across the city are in difficult situations and facing a long wait for a home. "The council's housing service looks at all options for suitable homes and we focus on matching families to properties which are both affordable and provide a positive environment for them, meeting their specific needs. "Geraldine was initially placed as a potential match for a property outside Birmingham, however after discussions with the housing team, it was determined the property was not suitable, so an offer was not made. We understand Geraldine is in a difficult situation and are working with her to find suitable housing for herself and her family." Have you been affected by this? We would like to hear from you. You can contact us by emailing
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Colorado journalist helps others navigate grief after her father was killed in mass shooting
Colorado journalist, whose father was killed in mass shooting, now helps others navigate grief Colorado journalist, whose father was killed in mass shooting, now helps others navigate grief Colorado journalist, whose father was killed in mass shooting, now helps others navigate grief Finding purpose through pain has become a daily endeavor for Erika Mahoney, an award-winning journalist who lives in Colorado. Her world changed instantaneously after her father was killed in a mass shooting at a supermarket in Boulder on March 22, 2021. Now, she's hoping to help others affected by these all-too-common tragedies cope with grief and trauma, and collectively heal, through a podcast she just launched called "Senseless with Erika Mahoney." "My hope is to open peoples' eyes to the pain that these American tragedies create and talk about how we move forward after the unthinkable," she said. In the podcast, she speaks with survivors of mass shootings, community leaders, and others affected by the tragedy. "These events have such a massive ripple effect. In the show, my editor came up with this phrase, 'web of pain.' With mass shootings, you have a massive 'web of pain,'" she said. "By sitting down with so many people affected by the tragedy in Boulder – not only did I learn about how this affected somebody who maybe didn't lose a family member but maybe they were in the grocery store and survived, the police officers who responded, the doctors at the local hospital – it was humbling. These just have such an outsized community impact, and I think it's really time that we recognize the true damage that these cause." She said she hopes people take away a few things from her podcast. "We are all connected as human beings," Mahoney said. "Showing up for each other and talking about these hard things out loud truly matters." Mahoney said she releases new episodes on Tuesday.
